The significant gap between so-called “soft data” (such as surveys of business and consumer confidence) and “hard data” (the factors that directly support GDP growth) suggests yet another weak start to the year, but stronger growth is in the offing.

Our forthcoming Capital Flows 2016 Year-End Review and Outlook report highlights several important trends in the transactions of U.S. commercial property. Here’s a preview of one particularly interesting shift.

The biggest news last Friday (not involving the FBI) was that third quarter GDP was estimated at a relatively robust 2.9% annualized, its fastest pace in two years and twice that in the second quarter.

With a host of positive economic news in the past few weeks, most economists were expecting a decisive pick-up in economic growth. Well, we got it, but for the wrong reason: The Bureau of Economic Analysis (“BEA”), which compiles the GDP figures, o